Which to use
“ZDF” and “zur” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,012
- “ZDF” frequency rank
- #66
- “zur” frequency rank
- 3078
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ZDF | zur |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Abkürzung für Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen | Kurzform von „zu der“ |
Where the eye mixes ZDF and zur
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between ZDF and zur
A purely visual mix-up. ZDF ([ˌt͡sɛtdeːˈʔɛf]) and zur ([t͡suːɐ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3078, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ZDF is recorded at frequency rank #3,012, classified as anabbrev, pronounced [ˌt͡sɛtdeːˈʔɛf]. zur is at rank #66, tagged as anabbrev, pronounced [t͡suːɐ̯].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 3078, this pair ranks #2,000,988 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ZDF vs zur
Shared letters: z. Private to "ZDF": df. Private to "zur": ru.
"ZDF" · 3 letters · shape CCC · "zur" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ZDF" and "zur" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ZDF" vs "zur" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ZDF" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "zur" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,000,988 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ZDF" and "zur" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "zapf vs ZDF". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,000,988 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.